ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Land is a precious resource that forms the basis of our security, pride and history. The
ownership and use of land have always played an important role in the shaping of all political,
economic and social processes in South Africa. Therefore it is a very sensitive issue for all
South Africans. Colonialism and the Apartheid policy deprived the majority of South
Africans of the right to own land or took away their land, and this contributed to the large
degree of prevailing poverty, especially of the rural black population.
One of the primary purposes of the first democratic government, elected in 1994, was to
introduce land reform that would return 30% of all agricultural land to the previously
deprived population.
The purpose of this study is to research the government policy, and prevailing theories, on
land reform, and the impact of this policy on the socio-economic development of the Cradock
and Somerset East districts of the Eastern Cape. The current power behind the new land
policy is the land reform programme, which consists of redistribution, security of tenure and
land restitution. Land reform means, among other things, the redistribution of land with the
main objectives of achieving socio-economic development and reducing poverty.
From the research it transpired that land reform is a complex issue with widely divergent
opinions. The Government itself changed its policy since 1994, and the World Bank has also
change its policy. Of the burning issues are: must land reform mainly deal with land
restitution, or rather with socio-economic development; is commercial farming on large farms
better for land restitution, or small scale farming on small farms; is the capitalistic viewpoint
driven by the market mechanism the best, or a more socialistic approach; is communal
ownership of land better than individual ownership; should only applicants with farming
experience be considered or also people with no experience? All these issues have
proponents, mostly it seams as if compromises between these viewpoints would yield the best
results.
From the case studies, as well as the literature and interviews, it transpired that support
services for emerging farmers are of prime importance. Mentors that assist emerging farmers
could make a positive contribution. Existing commercial farmers should also be involved as
advisers. It also seemed as if it was very difficult for large groups of unrelated beneficiaries to
successfully work on one farm. The success of the policy does not only depend on the mere access to land, as the quality of
life and potential job opportunities can only be increased by the provision of support services,
infrastructure and other development programmes, which result from land reform. This
requires a cooperative partnership between national, provincial and local governments.
The socio-economic analysis revealed that there are large scale poverty and unemployment in
the districts of Cradock and Somerset East. Although the rural population is on the decline,
there still are large rural black and coloured populations that may benefit from land
restitution. However, because of the dry climate and poor soil quality, it is unlikely that many
of these households could be helped by means of land restitution to escape from poverty.
Opinions of experts on the degree to which land reform contributed towards socio-economic
development, are divided. It seems that projects where upcoming farmers are assisted by a
mentor, or where a small number of beneficiaries, related to each other, are farming together,
have a greater chance of succeeding.
However, for the land reform programme to meet its objectives, it is important to formulate an
adequate land policy to ensure peace, reconciliation and national stability. Without these
aspects, economic growth and secure livelihoods cannot be ensured. Effective land
programmes can contribute directly to increased production and the reduction of poverty, but
only if implemented correctly. Land forms the corner stone of development, but cannot be
used or maintained as the only way to decrease or eliminate poverty.